Marine Patrol veteran promoted to captain

MOREHEAD CITY — The N.C. Marine Patrol has a new second in command with experience he built along the North Carolina coast.

Topsail Advertiser Staff

MOREHEAD CITY — The N.C. Marine Patrol has a new second in command with experience he built along the North Carolina coast.

Jim Kelley, a 24-year veteran with Marine Patrol, has been promoted to captain. He received his golden oak leaves in a pinning ceremony Monday at the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries headquarters in Morehead City.

Kelley was most recently captain in the Wilmington Marine Patrol Division and has served up and down the coast.

“Jim’s been stationed in all three Marine Patrol districts of the state, which means he understands the fishing activities statewide,” Marine Patrol Col. Rex Lanier said via news release.

Kelley began his career with Marine Patrol in 1989 as a field officer patrolling the Belhaven area. He was promoted through the ranks to sergeant, then lieutenant, moving to Dare County and the Wilmington area. In November 2008, he was promoted to captain.

As major, Kelley said he knows that each district is different.

“They are three different and distinct districts and I want to be sure everyone is treated the same,” he told The Daily News in a phone interview.

The position supervises all Marine Patrol field operations for the state, which boasts 2.7 million acres of ocean and coastal waters, and 4,000 miles of shoreline in 21 counties.

In addition to his extensive knowledge of fisheries across the state, Kelley also is known for going out of his way to help the fishing public understand and abide by regulations, Lanier said.

Lanier recalled a time several years ago when Marine Patrol cited a charter boat owner for operating without a for-hire fishing license. Afterward, Kelley learned that the charter boat operator could not read well and, therefore, didn’t think he could pass the test to get his U.S. Coast Guard Captain’s License, which was a requirement of the state for-hire license.

“Jim helped him get through it,” Lanier saidin the release. “He helped him get set up in a special class, and (the charter boat operator) was able to get his captain’s license.”

Kelley said educating the public and helping them understand fishery regulations is a key to getting people to comply with the rules.